We search the world, asking questions. Sometimes we get answers that change the way we look at our lives and the cosmos.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Too far gone?

Some scientists predict that the tipping point for extreme climate change may have already passed, meaning that nothing can be done to prevent the inevitable cycles of nature from altering life on earth. Do you believe that all species face eventual extinction, or that consciousness will find a way to perpetuate itself before an irrevocable calamity changes the environment on this planet? How does your view shape your thoughts on reproduction?

Consciousness, sublimely devious, will survive aggressively cloistered in the niche created for and by itself within the prophet's numerical devil. Armaggedon and the apocalypse are not synonymous. Each individual will certainly face the apocalypse; it is the course of destiny for every conscious being-the adherence of consciousness to a particular version of quantum reality is what determines the features of existence: different point-locations within the matrix feature circumstances variably subjected to passing and remaining measures of time- awaking to find oneself the only available example of sentient experience, one need only examine one's own beliefs to find out if that inevitable retreat of consciousness into other matter is to be wicked or blessed. Sensible human creatures remain very interested in going through the motions of reproduction, desiring fun and descendants undeterred.

Rita. Do you spend a lot of time thinking about the questions that you ask or is it more of a wiz bang thing for you? Ok let's see.1. Yes, obviously all species face eventual extinction.2. Consciousness couldn't find it's ass with both hands but a resourceful species can.3. All species reproduce, I have 4 off spring, all of which are willing to deal with what life throws them. And since we live on a geologically active plant regardless of what we as a species do, things will change. Another point that I don't know whether or not you may be aware of, is that we live on a planet that orbits a thing called a star that orbits a very densely packed object called a black hole that is gobbling everything up within its influence which we are a part of. Also there are very, very, large rocks out there in a place called "space" that will at some point in time smack this planet like a large cockroach. Life is a lot better for some people if they just focus on things like, makeup, hair styles and not farting in public.

now shouldnt this qn be limited to analysis by 'scientists', since it was 'them' that made this comment ?since i am one, a budding one in the least..i think ...every species on this planet is conscious...its just that we havent built a detector to understand the varying mechanisms that they employ to communicate with each other and themselves...

it pains me when 'scientists' anounce that fish can communicate...one has to be blind to biology to come to that conclusion this late...

conciousness existed before the singularity did..

and yes i would like to breed as well..cos i wanna create more idiots like me..

It is the peculiar arrogance of humanity that our species thinks itself "special". Why do we insist that our passing will be some kind of tragedy?

It is one thing to know this, and another to observe, and try to comprehend the fervour with which we seem to destroy all life on this planet. We live as though the only purpose of our existence is to kill everything we know within the next twenty years.

I never underestimate the propensity for "scientific" prediction to be a cry for attention. No matter how precise your observations are, you must make an assumption from your findings. This is where mistakes are made. But, let's say they're right...

If global warming is caused by humans, then we need fewer humans. Reducing emissions and recycling newspaper are bandaids to treat the symptoms. Medical and technological advances have encouraged population growth to an unmanagable point and no one wants to give up the right to unlimited proliferation.

Birth control is the only humane strategy to prevent the inevitable concequences of overpopulation: war and/or disease.

3 billion to 7 billion in my lifetime. There's just not enough food and real estate.

I think something else will happen before it gets too hot or an asteroid smacks into us.

The Sufi wisdom tradition has a saying: "Do you wish to develop new organs of perception? Increase your need, neccessitous one!"

They also have a tradition that consciousness was first housed in the land, then in plants, then in animals, then in our particular animal, and that it will eventually behoused in a form that we cannot imagine.

If we stress the environment to the point that rapid evolutionary changes are necessary for people to survive at all (or for cockroaches to become sentient) then that is what will likely occur.

If, however, women succeed in overcoming the enormous pressure men have put on them to breed recklessly and under every untoward circumstance of poverty, war, disease, absence of education, and every other form of support, then heyday! Maybe we can can reduce our ecological footprint to a reasonable and sustainable level.

But don't count on it. Men are far more interested in creating new ways of killing and enslaving women and children than in supporting and nurturing them.

Because of popularization,and trivialization, people take thoughts of extinction as just one more "don't disturb my perfect yuppie existence" annoyance. Truth be told, we are food for whatever isotope-swilling next species is arising in a garbage midden somewhere. Get used to it. If you align correctly, you can actually be consciously part of that creature.

humanity is not neccesarily the only "concious" being on this planet and certainly not the only one in the universe, but thats beside the point I do think that conciousness will survive, in fact i think that evolution will start again. Hell the next "us" could be gigantic flys that talk to each other with telepathic speach and have no interest in the other beings on the planet.

I think that conciousness is everywhere and will continue, evolution will start again with something else as its base. Dinosaurs were one base as far as im concerned, we were based on monkeys. Maybe itll be intelligent bacteria next?

I'm not convinced that we've passed any tipping point regarding the climate, but I think we've gotten ourselves into a mess by breeding like rabbits. Everyone knows that overpopulation in the animal world leads to starvation and displacement of other species, and yet we insist on believing that there must be some other cause behind it when humans go hungry, or invade the habitat of some creature or other.

I believe that humans will become extinct on this Earth, but that human consciousness will survive because it's not dependant on the human body or the Earth for its existance.

My thoughts on reproduction: there's way too much of it. I decided a long time ago not to replace myself on this Earth. My family has a high rate of genetically transferred diseases, so in an act of self-imposed eugenics I decided to let my DNA die with me. It seems like the kindest and most responsible thing to do. If the human race were in need of warm bodies, rather than in a crises of over-population, my choice would probably have been different.

We are not advanced enough as a species to do anything about how we affect the climate or reproduction. I believe this is all too obvious. The species will, sometime in the future, come to an end. Whether by the volitility of the planet or an asteroid or from each other. I'm not convinced consciousness dies. I'm one of those that believes the cosmos is consciousness. How can anything exist without consciousness? Is that possible?

All species have a beggining as well as an eventual end. The glory of life can be seen in the evolution of species. Some say that the wooly mammoth has become extinct. I see the wooly mammoth every time I look at an elephant. Species that become extinct merely evolve into one that is better suited for survival in its' current environment. Since the climate of Earth viewed in geologicic chronology is constantly changing. If the planet's climate were to become drastically cooler, perhaps those adaptations that allowed the wooly to thrive (heavy fur, large tuskes, immense stature), perhaps these adaptations would reintroduce themselves into the gene pool. Where I am going with this? A species never becomes extinct. There culture and way of life CAN. And the American way of life has become one of disparity. There was a time when I was proud to say that I was an American. If we wish to expand our culture, thereby preventing its' extinciton, we must first expand our minds.